January 29, 2017
Read Hebrews 9:12. What the Lord did at Calvary is eternal; it does not have an expiry date; it does not wear out. It is for sins past, present and future: how precious for us! It came from the One who is eternal Himself. He is the One who offered Himself for us.
Hymn 312 - Jesus loves me! This I know
Prayer
Last week, we spoke about how to choose good friends and be a good friend. This week, let’s talk about the eyes of the Lord.
Proverbs 15:3 tells us that the Lord’s eyes are everywhere; we can’t hide from Him, not even in the dark. God knows everything, sees everything, and can do everything. He made the world, and provides for our daily needs. David came to the same conclusion in Psalm 139:7-12. God sees everything: both the evil, and the good. He knows our thoughts, and even knows how many hairs are on our heads. He knows that we have sinned; and it’s important that we not only know we have sinned, but also know that Jesus died for us and we can come to Him for salvation. Even after we’re saved, if we confess our sins, God will forgive them.
God watches over us , even when no one else is around. There was once a fellow out snowmobiling alone on a lake, and he had an accident and was injured. No one knew that he was out there, except for God, and God brought his brother along that way, and he was able to help. Whatever situation we are in, God is watching over us.
Proverbs 5:21. God is watching us, seeing and knowing what we’re doing. He wants to bless us, and will honour us if we honour Him.
II Chronicles 16:9. Again, God’s eyes are looking down, wanting to bless and help us. Asa went to another king for help, instead of going to the Lord. However, the Lord is there to help us, and we can turn to Him and ask for that help. He sees the sparrow fall to the ground, and He will watch and care for us.
In Genesis 16, we get the story of Hagar, Sarah’s servant. She and her son ran away from Abraham and Sarah, and ended up in the desert, almost dying. The Lord saw her there, though, and helped her. He promised to make her son a great nation, and showed her where to get water to stay alive. Hagar gave the Lord a name that day: “Thou God seest me,” or, “The God that reveals Himself.” God wants us to see Him and know Him. But how?
Hebrews 11:27. Moses saw “Him who is invisible.” Wow! We need the eyes of faith to do this. We can know and see God through the Scriptures, using faith. Moses had faith, and because of that he left Pharaoh and the treasures of Egypt. By faith, God feeds us as we trust Him, giving us strength for the path down here.
The Lord looks down from Heaven to help and bless us. Through His word, and by faith, we can see Him. May our actions be pleasing in His sight, and may we look to Him with a single eye. “Quote coming.”
1 Thessalonians 2:7-20
Verse seven begins to tell us of the things Paul and his team did to bring the Gospel to the Thessalonians. It’s not just what was said, but what was done as well. We might picture Paul a little severe, but in this verse he says he was like a nurse with her children. It is more of a picture of a mother, but the point was Paul was gentle with them. Paul saw them as those needing gentle mothering and cherishing. It’s an important characteristic - an affection that goes beyond most. A very young child is totally helpless. Paul was watching over them, seeing their needs, and responding to them.
He was not just concerned to see them saved, but also to see them go on in what he had taught them. He wanted them to be brought to the Lord and the truth; and continue in it. He uses extravagant language in verse eight, but it is not quite the language he used in Romans 9:1-3 and Romans 10:1. He apparently was willing to forfeit his own soul for the salvation of others. Paul’s heart is exposed in the love that he had for these people. He describes his desire to see them saved like birth pain.
It’s interesting to compare Paul with Saul. Saul was trying to make Christians Jews by death. That’s not what Paul was doing. He was now driven by love. Paul was not appealing for money. He didn’t want to be chargeable to any of them.
Paul’s gospel focused on the glory of God while Peter’s focused on the grace of God. When Paul was saved he saw the glory of God. Peter was a fisherman who had worked along with Jesus. Grace is God’s unmerited favour, and the glory is always attached to the Gospel. Paul’s message lifted the spirit out of the mire into the presence of God.
Verse nine was about what they heard from Paul. Verse ten was about what they saw. Paul saw to it that he wasn’t just working around people, but in the presence of God. He called God his Witness. His holiness was before God, justice was before man, and he was unblamable in himself. This required absolute consistency between the messenger and the message.
From verse eleven we find that Paul was both mother and father to the Thessalonians The mother gives comfort, and the father gives the charge. Paul did both. Exhortation builds up, comfort binds up, and the charge stirs up. We need each others help in this. The pathway is not easy, and it is precious to have scripture to encourage us. Paul gave the charge of going on in the truth to every one.
He told them to behave in a suitable way as children of God - to walk worthy. That position commands godliness. When we walk worthy there will be blessing.
Hymn 362 - Two little eyes to look to God
Prayer